"Let's join them." Jack proposed, which garnered the attention of Everette and Ada, as well as Amelia and Patrick, who returned.
"Do you have a plan, Jack?" Everette curiously asked Jack. He was trying to think of a plan until Jack voiced his thoughts.
"Mhm. If we can act like we are joining them, then perhaps we can get the jump on them unless you guys have any better ideas."
Everette scratched the back of his head as he tried to think of another that might not be so risky, "Can't we do something less risky?"
Jack shook his head, "If we want Ada to become a king, then we must face the risks head-on. Higher the risk, higher the return, right?"
"I agree with Jack on this one, Everette. Although it may be very dangerous, we don't know when they might strike us when we least expect it. So why not do it when they don't expect it?"
Ada turned towards Everette with her arms crossed and her head tilted slightly to the side. Her eyes locked on Everette. He breathed a sigh before agreeing to the plan.
"What about everyone here? We can't endanger everyone here in case something happens." Everette turned his attention to everyone in the Chapel. Their faces expressed happiness for being near one another's care—especially those who had just arrived.
"Hm? We'll just leave them here. If we come to the conclusion that it is safe, then we'll bring them." Ada answered with a carefree expression before walking over to the visitors.
"Hey."
The three turned to look at her with an expectant look. Lynda stood at the front and greeted her, asking what decisions had been made.
"Hello, have you decided on whether or not you guys would like to join us yet?"
"Yes, we have. But is it possible for us to leave tomorrow? We all are especially tired from our trip in saving some survivors, you see..."
Lynda's face contorted in an expression of uncertainty before answering:
"Although I would have liked to leave now, it's no problem. We'll come back tomorrow."
After bidding farewell to them, Ada called out to Patrick:
"Hey, Patrick! Are you willing to do another trip?"
"Hm? Uhm... Sure...? Where to, kid?"
"Back to Trinity, of course."
***
"Could you tell me why we three were dragged into this?" Everette looked towards Ada and referred to how she dragged him, Jack, and Amelia along with her.
Ada looked at the large object before her, which lay inside Trinity's ground, before turning back to Everette. "Because we're about to carry all this meat back!"
She was standing before the beetle slain by Coll before being taken away. Everette raised a brow before pointing to the other one with his thumb. The other beetle was stripped of its shell and mandibles and was left with its flesh bare.
"What about that one?"
"We're not getting that one."
"Oh? Why not?"
Everette was confused about why they shouldn't strip it of its meat as well. After borrowing one of Amelia's knives and climbing on top of the beetle, Ada looked down at Everette.
"Because we don't know what happens to the meat that has been out in the open for hours."
She tightly formed a fist before slamming it onto the shell of the beetle. Cracks webbed out from the shell before having a knife stabbed into it.
"Wasteful, I know, but a little paranoia is good.
Ada then severed off a chunk of its shell before tossing it to the ground, "Let's also find some more ways to use these spare parts, 'kay?"
Everette sighed before getting a pat on the back from Patrick, "I'm sure she probably knows what she's doing, Everette. Let's just support her like the kingsmen that we are."
He summoned her cane before unsheathing it and unleashing a slash towards the shell. A scratch appeared, which made Patrick give a deadpan expression.
He held up his blade and inspected it before turning to the scratch. He comedically repeated this back-and-forth stare before asking Ada to help him crack the shell.
Everette couldn't help but chuckle at that before turning towards Amelia, who clutched an abnormal-looking knife. The handle seems to be wrapped in a vine-like material, while its blade seems to wiggle a bit occasionally. The blade, although still the same colour as before, seems to have strange little hairs coming off of it.
He could hear her murmuring to it with a frustrated tone in her voice.
"Hey, Amelia... What's up with your knife?"
Amelia stiffened before turning to Everette with an embarrassed expression. "O-Oh... This is the new imprint I created."
"I see... And about the wiggling..."
She sighed before answering, "It's a passive... It'll sometimes go still, but it is very random..." She sighed in defeat.
Everette was shocked, 'Isn't that a disadvantage?' He couldn't believe it, so he questioned her further.
"Does it at least have any good skills?"
Amelia's eyes slowly turned to the side before holding out her hand, "I'll let you see for yourself...." Everette nodded before clutching her hand and receiving a notification.
["Amelia Rose has transferred Grassy Nostalgia to you."]
The knife in her hands faded before breaking into small blue particles. They then flew to his hand before forming the shape of the knife again. He clutched the handle of the knife before feeling a sense of calmness flood his mind.
His eyes narrowed on it, and he began to read out its panel.
===
[ Name: Grassy Nostalgia ]
[ Tier: 2 ]
[Description: "A kitchen knife fused with the genetic nexus of a Partially-Mutated Nostalgic Grass Hivemind. Although the corruption mostly took over the creature's mind, it was capable of containing a slither of mana. Created by Amelia Rose"]
[Abilities]
Active abilities:
["Lengthening": "By injecting your mana into the knife, you can increase its size by up to 1 metre"]
["Nostalgia's Reminder": "By injecting your mana into the knife, your next swing will cause the victim to relive one frame of their happiest memories."]
Passive abilities:
["Unpredictable Swaying": "The subtle wiggle in the blade will unpredictably move mid-swing - allowing it to attack in unnatural angles."]
[Analysis: "Who wouldn't want their kitchen knife fused with a sentient lawn that's been binge-watching its childhood memories?"]
===